5 IDEAL WALKING SPOTS IN BAGUIO CITY

Heavy traffic has always been a problem in Baguio City especially during summer and holidays.  Due to the high influx of vehicles, there have been one proposal after another to convert open spaces into parking lots.  The city is also trying its best not to allow parking in any area to avoid clogging of roads.  Just look at these NO PARKING signs!

Unless gusto mong magbayad ng P500.00 na parking fee e ok na ok lang. 🙂

It looks so inviting! But yes, sorry po, no parking talaga dito. 🙂

Ganito po talaga katindi ang NO PARKING sa Baguio. Pati sa mga damuhan pinapatulan na. Kaya yan, NO PARKING po dito sa may damuhan.

To have an idea of how much the parking rate is, here you go.

On this side e di pwede mag park and smoke. So dalawa ang violation mo kung nag illegal parking ka sabay sindi ng yosi. Look for a spot na walang NO SMOKING kung yosing yosi ka na. Or better yet don’t smoke dahil masama yan sa baga and of course para isa lang violation mo.

Is there a solution to this then?  Should it be additional parking spaces?

The most practical solution to this is –  minimizing the use of our vehicles.  Easier said than done right?  But we can do it one step at a time.  And to start with this, I encourage everyone to start walking and enjoy the city’s embracing breeze.

To help promote our city as THE CITY OF WALKING PEOPLE, here are my top 5 favorite spots where you can start training yourself to get used to walking around the city:

1) Brent Road

You will never miss this sign. Malapit lang siya sa Pink Sisters. If you get lost naman, just look for this sign. lol.

Very safe to walk here early in the morning because wala masyadong vehicles. During night time, wag tumambay dito kasi medyo madilim and a lot of teenagers tinatakas sasakyan ng mga magulang nila para tumambay dito at mag-inuman. Not cool, so calling our Policemen to keep this place safe at night. Pero mind you, nice mag-walk talaga dito.

Plus in the afternoon, may isaw dito na 5 pesos lang. You might also want to try that.
Look for kuya in front of that green gate na malapit sa may Pink Sisters. Pag may lalaki kang nakitang nakawahak ng pamaypay kahit na tag-lamig, that only means there is isaw on Brent Road. Kunyari umiiwas si kuya sa camera o, pero hagip pa din. 🙂 (update: Kuya is no longer there, si ate na so look for ate).

---

ADVERTISEMENT

---

2) John Hay;

This is John Hay sa hapon. 🙂 Naubusan na ng oras at liwanag kaya almost evening na ito. While jogging here, you will enjoy super fresh air kasi di napapagod bumuga ng malinis na hangin ang mga puno dito. 🙂 Di tulad sa bandang town, pati mga puno nag-yoyosi na din. hehe

3) South Drive;

Jogging and walking ba ang trip mo? Sabay ka dito sa South Drive. You will never be alone. 🙂

Dahil accident prone area dito…

I suggest na huwag po sa kalsada mag-lakad at mag-jogging…

Dito lang po tayo sa sidewalk, if you want a second chance in life. 🙂

4) Teacher’s Camp;

Di ka pa pinapanganak ay uso na ang maglakad at mag-jogging dito…

Dahil rubberized ang track and field ng Teacher’s Camp, hindi basta basta nakakapasok dito…

Bago mag ready, get, set go….

Kailangan mo muna bumili ng ticket sa ticket booth…

Ipakita ang ticket kay manong guard kahit ganun siya makatingin dahil…

No ticket, no entry dito.

Kapag nakapasok na, huwag kang feeling – dahil may designated na joggers lane. Baka kasi pagkamalan kang part of National Team e ipadala ka agad sa South East Asian Games ng wala sa oras. Menos medalya yun para sa Pinas.

Kung wala ka naman pambili ng ticket…

Here ka nalang sa labas ng Teacher’s Camp para you will be jogging into the woods. 🙂

5) Burnham Park;

Kung sa dami naman ng pwedeng gawin apart from jogging or walking, baka Burnham Park ang hanap mo. 🙂

Pwedeng mag-boat sa chocolate flavored na man made lake. 🙂 Di talaga ganyan ang kulay niyan, may naglaro lang siguro kaya kung sa ilocano e “nalibeg” ang itsura. hehe

Pwede ding mag-biking. Kids love this so much so tag along your children if you visit Burnham Park. 🙂

Kung transient house naman ang hanap mo, makakahanap ka din dito…

Or kung pagod ka na at naghahanap ng rason na umupo, kalabitin mo si kuya at magpa Henna Tattoo during the day…

Or during night time kung weird ang trip mo…

May hilot at reflex din at 50 pesos daw… (pero mukhang bawal na ito ngayon)

Pero huwag ugaliin ang maglakad ng gabi dito dahil baka sa hospital ang bagsak mo habang naririnig ang mga katagang “follow the light”. Joke lang. Safe naman pa din dito pero advisory lang.

Balik tayo sa umaga at siguradong madadaanan mo ang booth na ito at…

…magpa-picture kay Doglas the dog! Yung mga anak daw niyan ay na kay Manny Pacquiao (daw). Kumikitang pangkabuhayan ito dahil 25 pesos per shot, gamit ang sarili mong camera phone. 🙂 May advantage din ang pagiging anyong aso ano? Buti pa si Doglas the dog. Talo ang mga abogadong hindi binabayaran ng mga nagpapanotaryo sa kanila. Kaya ang linya niyo – “sana aso na nalang ako”. Joke lang! (Since this was published 3 years ago, not sure if Doglas is still a dog, este, not sure if Doglas is still there)

Nalaman ko rin na hindi pala pinsan ni Doglas the dog ang ibang mga St. Bernard Dog sa Baguio! Had I known. Meron akong kilalang pusa named “Kuting”, she is barely making it in life. Sana i-endorse din siya ng Tourism of Baguio, baka sakaling maging celebrity din siya tulad ni Doglas. 🙂

Malayo na rin ang narating natin…pero di problema yan kung naiihi na kayo dahil may clean pay comfort rooms tayo dito…remember “pay”. Kung wala ka namang dalang pera, kalabitin mo ang friend mo and say “friend, naiihi ako, libre mo naman ako.” Imposible namang tiisin ka ng kaibigan mo, dahil di siya tunay na kaibigan kung ganun. Or pwede ring ikaw na ang mag-aya kung medyo may extra ka and say “friends, tara ihi tayo, treat ko to!”

Whew! Now we finally come to the end of this article.  Napagod kayo ano?  Just a reminder, wherever you jog or walk sa Baguio, paalala lang po…

Let us go back to loving our city once again because there is no other place like Baguio.  I may not have experienced the old Baguio that our predecessors first fell in love with but I am of the view that there is so much to preserve than develop.

---